The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend will be hosting its Annual Celebration on Tuesday, September 25 at Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf. Doors open at 5pm and the program begins at 5:30pm. Media is welcome to attend as we will be announcing and recognizing the 2012 Quad City Caring Award winners as well as a newly inducted Advisor Circle member and the volunteer of the year “Shining Star Award.”

MONTICELLO, IA --The annual Camp Courageous Pancake Breakfast and Open House is set for Sunday, September 30, 2012 from 7:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Camp Courageous began serving individuals with disabilities during the summer of 1974 with campers totaling 211. The camp is run on donations, without government support, without paid fund raisers, and without formal sponsorship. Today, the camp is open year-round and the campers served is over 6,000!

Camp Courageous is celebrating their 39th anniversary. A DVD presentation about the camp, as well as new camp merchandise can be found in the camp's main office.

In the lodge, pancakes will be prepared on six pancake grills to get everyone through the line quickly. The cost is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under 12 for pancakes and sausage. Other events during the open house include a Live WMT Broadcast from the camp's main lodge. Leo Greco CDs and DVDs available.

See the expanded Train Depot and new tracks. Live reenactment train robbery by Red Cedar Regulators at the Train Depot at 9:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 10:45 AM, and 11:45 AM. Live in the Sill barn will be Dixie-Notes-Plus performing free at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 a.m.

The camp is located five miles southeast of Monticello off Highway 38 and 151 - Exit 65.

The Pancake Breakfast is also kick-off for sales of the Camp Courageous Fruitcakes. The fresh baked Fruitcakes are $10.00 each with no purchase limit.

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) team is working with Camp Courageous as camp counselors from September 10 to November 2 on their final NCCC service project.The NCCC team is providing personal care for the campers as well as leading camp activities such as canoeing, swimming, dancing, art and entertainment. The team is also assisting the camp staff with facilitating the ropes course, zip line and caving exploration classes.

“I’m looking forward to a new kind of project that revolves around building relationships and working with different kinds of people,” says NCCC Member Jaclyn DeFranco. “I’m also excited about the perks of living at a camp such as canoeing, arts and crafts and campouts.”

Camp Courageous serves over 6,000 individuals with disabilities annually. Their mission is to provide exceptional year-round recreational and respite care opportunities for individuals with special needs and their families. The camp is run primarily on donations, giving all individuals the opportunity to give through gifts of time, materials, money and other means that support the camp.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,100 young adults serve nationwide each year. During their 10-month term, NCCC Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The North Central Region campus in Vinton, Iowa is one five regional campuses in the United States and serves Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The other campuses are located in Perry Point, Md.; Sacramento, Calif.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Denver, Colo.

In exchange for their service, NCCC Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc.

Throughout the day attendees sampled beers, cheeses, played games and listened to music of Minus Six and to the comedy of the Blacklist Comedy Troupe. Voting for the best brews took place from 1:30 to 4:00 pm when the votes were tallied and the top three brews were named. All of the winners were decided on by the attendees.

Voting is open for the Chase Community Giving Grants. Please cast a vote for the Rock Island Public Foundation before Sept. 19!

Everyone gets 2 votes on Facebook to use on 2 different charities before Sept. 19. If you share a link to a charity by clicking the Like, Tweet, Send or Copy Link button, and a friend uses that link to vote, you earn a bonus vote. Your bonus vote can be used on any charity, even one you've previously voted for. In addition, Chase customers get 2 additional votes to use. You can use those votes by visiting ChaseGiving.com and logging in using your Chase online ID and password.

Foundation funds enhance the Rock Island Library is so many ways - by sponsoring Hug-A-Book early learning programs, library visits for HeadStart classes, and summer art and drama programs for children. Foundation dollars also renovated the Children's Room and handicapped entrance at the Main Library, and paid for three self-check machines, Bookletters book recommendation service and Ancestry.com subcription. Please vote today - and share the link with your friends!